A large complex of thunderstorms developed over Northwest Kansas on the evening and overnight of June 18th, 2008. The complex of storms lead to a quasi linear convective system moving south across portions of Central and South Central Kansas, producing damaging winds along its path.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS ICT wrote it up.
A large complex of thunderstorms developed over Northwest Kansas on the evening and overnight of June 18th, 2008. The complex of storms lead to a quasi linear convective system moving south across portions of Central and South Central Kansas, producing damaging winds along its path.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 17, 9:36 PM CST, 3 hours 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1036 PM CDT TUE JUN 17 2008 .AVIATION... FOR THE 06Z TAF SUITE...CONVECTION ACROSS CENTRAL NEBRASKA MAY AFFECT PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS LATE TONIGHT...THOUGH CONFIDENCE ON MAINTENANCE OF SEVERE IS MODEST AT BEST...DUE TO THE BETTER INSTABILITY AND MODEST LOW LEVEL JET STAYING JUST NORTHWEST OF THE AREA. HOWEVER WILL INCLUDE TEMPO GROUP FOR A FEW HOURS DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF WEDNESDAY FOR KRSL AND KSLN. VCTS FOR REST OF TAF SITES IN SOUTH CENTRAL/SOUTHEAST KANSAS FOR A FEW HOURS EITHER SIDE OF 12Z. EXCEPT FOR BRIEF MVFR CIGS/VSBYS MAINLY IN CONVECTION...WILL CONTINUE WITH PREVAILING VFR THRU REST OF FORECAST PERIOD. RELATIVELY BETTER CHANCES FOR MORE ORGANIZED CONVECTION LOOKS TO AFFECT THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. KED && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 627 PM CDT TUE JUN 17 2008/ AVIATION... FOR THE 00Z TAF SUITE...BEST CHANCES FOR CONVECTION WILL STAY WEST OF THE AREA THRU THE FORECAST VALID PERIOD. GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS...THOUGH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IN UPSLOPE COMPONENT FLOW MAY PROMOTE SOME PATCHY MVFR/IFR VSBYS/CIGS ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. KED PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 346 PM CDT TUE JUN 17 2008/ DISCUSSION... FORECAST CONCERNS TODAY ARE OVERNIGHT PRECIP CHANCES AND A WARMING TREND FOR THE END OF THE WEEKEND. TONIGHT-WED: WEAK HIGH PRESSURE AND NORTHWEST FLOW WILL KEEP MOST OF THE SHRA/TSRA TO THE WEST OR SOUTHWEST OF THE AREA FOR A GOOD PORTION OF THE NIGHT AS CONVECTION DEVELOPS ACROSS WESTERN KS AND IN THE OK PANHANDLE. DO EXPECT THE CONVECTION OUT WEST TO EVENTUALLY PROPAGATE TO THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AS THE OVERNIGHT PROGRESSES. SO COULD SEE SOME OF THIS CONVECTION SNEAK INTO AREAS SOUTHWEST OF ICT DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON WED. SO WILL KEEP A LOW POPS IN AREAS SOUTHWEST OF ICT FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WED NIGHT-THU: THIS LOOKS LIKE THE HIGHEST CHANCES FOR A SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL FOR MOST LOCATIONS...AS MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST THAT A CONVECTIVE COMPLEX WILL DEVELOP IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA THEN DROP SOUTH ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA LATE WED NIGHT INTO THU AS IT SLIDES SOUTH ALONG THE INSTABILITY AXIS. THIS COMPLEX COULD ALSO LEAD TO OUR BEST SEVERE CHANCE OF THE WEEK...WITH MLCAPES OF 2500-3000 J/KG AND 0-3KM SHEAR VALUES OF 30-45KTS SUGGEST A DAMAGING WIND THREAT AND CERTAINLY A HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ALMOST 2. COULD ALSO SEE SHRA FROM THIS COMPLEX LINGER INTO THU AS WELL .ESPECIALLY IN SRN KS. SO WILL KEEP A SOLID CHANCE POP GOING FOR THU AS WELL. WILL ALSO GO COOLER ON MAX TEMPS FOR THU AS LOTS OF SHRA AND CLOUD COVER WILL KEEP TEMPS DOWN. FRI-SAT: NOT SURE HOW THIS TIME FRAME WILL EVOLVE AS MODELS DIFFER ON TIMING AND STRENGTH OF IMPULSES MOVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE PLAINS. GFS SHOWING ANOTHER MCS DEVELOPING OVER WRN KS LATE FRI NIGHT AND POSSIBLY CLIPPING SOUTH CENTRAL KS LATE FRI OR EARLY SAT. THE ECMWF ISNT QUITE AS ROBUST WITH THIS FEATURE. SO WILL KEEP THINGS DRY FOR NOW....BUT COULD SEE ADDING POPS WITH LATER FORECASTS. WILL ALSO INCLUDE A SLIGHT POPS WEST OF I-135 FOR SAT NIGHT AS WELL TO COORDINATE BETTER WITH NEIGHBORING OFFICES. SUN-TUE: MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST UPPER RIDGE ACROSS THE ROCKIES WILL DRIFT A LITTLE FURTHER TO THE EAST FOR THE END OF THE WEEKEND WHICH WILL LEAD TO TEMPS MORE TYPICAL OF SUMMER. THIS UPPER RIDGE WILL ALSO LEAD TO A MINOR REPRIEVE FROM THE NOCTURNAL CONVECTION CHANCES ACROSS THE AREA....WITH DRIER WEATHER EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA. NOT COMPLETELY SURE THAT THIS TIME FRAME WILL BE DRY FOR ALL LOCATIONS....AS GFS SHOWS A WEAK IMPULSE DIVING SOUTH INTO ERN KS COULD LEAD TO SOME POPS FOR SUN. BUT CONFIDENCE IN THIS SOLUTION IS LOW SO WILL KEEP THIS DRY FOR NOW. KETCHAM AVIATION... 18Z TAFS...ICT/SLN/HUT/CNU/RSL...VFR CONDITIONS ANTICIPATED FOR THE MOST PART OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HOWEVER...AFTERNOON/EVENING WESTERN HIGH PLAINS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY MAY EVENTUALLY AFFECT MAINLY WESTERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF KANSAS TONIGHT. PREDICTABILITY IS LOW ON EXACTLY WHERE THIS ACTIVITY WILL AFFECT...SO ONLY INSERTED CB WORDING FOR NOW ALL AREAS EXCEPT CHANUTE TERMINAL. KLEINSASSER && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 63 85 65 83 / 30 10 40 50 HUTCHINSON 63 86 64 83 / 30 10 40 50 NEWTON 62 85 64 82 / 30 10 40 50 ELDORADO 61 85 64 83 / 30 10 30 50 WINFIELD-KWLD 61 85 65 84 / 30 10 30 50 RUSSELL 60 87 64 83 / 60 10 60 50 GREAT BEND 61 87 64 84 / 30 10 60 50 SALINA 63 86 64 83 / 60 10 50 50 MCPHERSON 62 86 63 83 / 30 10 40 50 COFFEYVILLE 61 83 64 82 / 30 10 20 50 CHANUTE 60 83 63 82 / 20 10 20 40 IOLA 60 83 63 82 / 20 10 20 40 PARSONS-KPPF 61 83 64 82 / 20 10 20 40 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1012 PM CDT TUE JUN 17 2008 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-190315- RUSSELL-LINCOLN-BARTON-ELLSWORTH-SALINE-RICE-MCPHERSON-MARION-CHASE- RENO-HARVEY-BUTLER-GREENWOOD-WOODSON-ALLEN-KINGMAN-SEDGWICK-HARPER- SUMNER-COWLEY-ELK-WILSON-NEOSHO-CHAUTAUQUA-MONTGOMERY-LABETTE- 1012 PM CDT TUE JUN 17 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS LATE TONIGHT. HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE AND WINDS TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. OTHERWISE...A FEW STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA...EXCEPT FAR SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY FOR MUCH OF THE AREA...AS A CONVECTIVE COMPLEX MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE OVER CENTRAL KANSAS FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WITH DAMAGING WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR FRIDAY BUT THE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE STRONG OR SEVERE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TONIGHT. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP KED
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 205 AM CDT WED JUN 18 2008 KSZ032-180800- RUSSELL- 205 AM CDT WED JUN 18 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR RUSSELL COUNTY... AT 200 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF LURAY...OR 21 MILES NORTH OF RUSSELL...AND MOVING SOUTH AT 27 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. COX
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:17 UTC.
23 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
The KSNW television weather lab recorded a wind gust to 60 mph.
The KSNW television weather lab reported the wind gust.
A semi tractor trailer truck was blown over on Interstate 70 injuring one person.
Tree limbs were blown down in town.
The strong winds knocked down some small trees across town. One tree fell on a car severely damaging it.
Several tree limbs were down across town.
A ligthning strike set two field crude oil tanks on fire.
An off duty KSNW meteorologist reported several large trees knocked down at Cheney Lake.
The Wind gust was measured at the KSNW weather lab at Argonia Elementary School.
An off duty KSNW meteorologist reported a 60 mph wind gust in Cheney.
The strong winds knocked dowm some small tree limbs.
Strong winds caused extensive damage to a greenhouse.
Some small limbs were knocked down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, June 2008
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 114489, 114490, 114491, 114492, 114493, 114494, 114495, 114496, 114497, 114498, 114499, 114500, 114501, 114503, 114502, 114505, 114506, 114507, 114508, 114509, 114510, 114511, 114746, 114504, 114514.